Refrigerator door latch



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Patented Mar. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES e 2,234,651 REFRIGERATOR DOOR LATCH Eric Pick, New York, N. Y., assgnor to Servel, Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application December 15, 1937, Serial No. 179,839

4 Claims My invention relates to a refrigerator door latch and it is an object of the invention to provide a self-latching latch which does not project and which is operable to unlatch by either push or pull. It is a further object to provide a latch which is operable from a plurality of points at different elevations.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a refrigerator provided with a latch embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the refrigerator on line 2-2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail section on line 4-4 in Figs. 3 and 5;

Fig. 5 is a detail section on line 5--5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a right hand side view of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a detail section on line 1-1 in Fig. 5;'

Fig. 11 is a front elevation of a refrigerator y provided with a latch embodying a modification of the invention;

Fig. 12 is a detail section on line I2--I2 in Fig. 11; and

Fig. 13 is a detail section on line I3-I3 in Fig. 12.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, a

refrigerator I has a storage compartment II accessible by means of a door I2. The door is hung on the right hand side of the cabinet by suitable hinges I3 and is latched on the left hand side of the cabinet by'a latch having an upper operating handle I4 and a lower operating member I5.

The handle I4 is further shown in Figs. 3, 8 and 9. The handle I4 comprises a circular cup turned on its side and having a-partition I6 across the lower half. The handle I 4 is located in the upper part of a recess I1 in the door I2. The recess I1 is open at its upper and lower ends through the exterior surface of the door I2, the openings being circular. The handle I4 is opposite the upper opening and is secured to the upper end of a lever I8. The lever I8 is held by alight spring I9 so that thepartitionl I6 across the lower half of the handle I4 is normally in the plane of the outer surface of the door I2.

The lower operating member I is circular and is located in the lower part of the recess I1 opposite the lower circular opening. The operating member I5 is secured to the lower end of a lever which is held by a light spring 2| so that the surface of the operating member I5 normally lies in the plane of the outer surface of the doorY The lower end of lever I8 and the upper end of lever 20 are located side by side and pivoted on a pin 22 which is on a bracket 23.` This bracket may be seen in Figs. 3 to 7 inclusive. The light springs I9 and 2| are formed by the upper and lower parts respectively of a resilient wire of which the center is secured by an ear 24 struck out of the bracket 23.

At the lower end of lever I8 is a short arm provided with a generally V-shaped notch 25. The upper end of lever 20 is likewise formed and provided with a similar notch 26. When the handle I4 and lower operating member I5 are in their normal positions, as described, the notches 25 and 26 coincide.

A roller 21 rests in the coincident notches 25 and 26. Movement of either lever I8 or lever 20 in either direction causes the roller 21 to move to the right as seen in Figs. 8 to 10. The roller 21 is mounted as hereinafter described so that upon movement to the right the latch is unlatched.

The handle I4 is located at a level on the refrigerator, say 40 inches above the floor, at which it is convenient for operation by hand. The upper edge of the partition I6 may be grasped by the fingers to draw the handle I4 forward to the position shown in Fig. 8, or pressure may be exerted on the outside of partition I6 to move the handle backward to the position shown in Fig. 9. In either case the roller 21 is moved to the right to cause unlatching of the door.

The lower operating member I5 may be located as shown at a level, say 20 inches above the oor, at which it is convenient for operation by knee pressure. Pressure on member I5 causes it to move backward to the position shown in Fig. 10. This also moves the roller 21 to the right to unlatch the door. The lower lever 20 and operating member I5 could also be arranged if de- .sired to be pulled forward like handle I4 to unlatch the door. Operation of member I5 does not cause movement of handle I4 and vice-versa. This is because each independently causes move-4 ment of roller 21 and when not being manually `operated each is held in place by spring I9 or 2l.

Referring now to Figs. 4 to 'l inclusive. the latch mechanism is all mounted on a bracket comprising a lower plate 28 and an upper plate v 29 joined by an intermediate vertical portion 30.

An ear 3| is turned up from the forward edge of plate 29 and another ear 32 is turned down from the forward edge of plate 28. The latch mechanism is secured in the door by screws 33 which fasten the ears 3l and 32 to the door frame 34.

The bracket 23 previously referred to is formed by bending back upon itself an extension of the vertical part 38 of the mounting bracket.

Between the upper and lower plates 29 and 28 of the mounting bracket is pivoted a latch bolt 35. The latch bolt 35 is journalled on a pin 36. Movement of latch bolt 35 is limited by a. pin 31 which extends through the latch bolt and into slots 38 in the lower and upper plates 28 and 29 of the mounting bracket. A spring arm 39 is mounted with one end secured in a notch 40 in the latch bolt 35 and the other end in a notch formed between the vertical side wall 30 and tabs 4I and 42 struck out of the bottom and top plates 28 and 29 respectively of the mounting bracket. This notch is actually formed between the tabs 4I and 42 and the head of the pin 22 which is in the side wall 30. The latch bolt 35 and spring arm 39 constitute a spring tensioned toggle. The latch bolt 35 engages and disengages a striking plate 43 as the toggle is shifted from one position to the other as limited by the pin 31 in the slots 38. When the door I2 is moved to its closed position, the latch bolt 35, in a known manner, hits the forward edge of the striking plate 43 so that the toggle is shifted and the latch bolt engages behind the plate 43 to compress the door gasket 44 and hold the door tightly closed.

Between the lower and upper plates 28 and 29 is a latch shifting member 45 which is journalled on a pin 46. One end of the member 45 is arranged next to pin 31 so that by movement of member 45 around pin 46, a force is exerted on pin 31 to shift the toggle to unlatch the door. The previously described roller 21 is journalled on a pin 41 in the other end of the-latch shifting member 45. Thus, when the roller 21 is moved as previously described by manipulation of the handle I4 or lower operating Amember I5, the member 45 shifts the toggle to unlatch the door. In Figs. l1 and 12 and 13, there is shown a modified form of latch handle. The outer surface of the door I2 of the refrigerator I0 is formed with a vertically elongated depression-48 which is deeper and Wider at the upper and lower ends than in the middle. The door shown is formed by spaced sheet metal walls providing an insulation space therebetween. The depression 48 is formed in the outer sheet metal Wall 49. In the middle of the depression 48 there is a slot 50 through the outerv metal wall 49 One end of a member I projects slightly through the slot 50. The member 5I is journalled on a pin 52. The inner end of the memberSI is provided with a V-shaped notch 53 in which is located the roller 21 of a latch mechanism like that previously described. On the outer end of member 5I is secured -an operating bar 54. The outer surface of the bar 54 is normally located in the plane of the outer surface of the outside wall 49 of the door I2, The lower end of the bar 54 extends to the lower end of the depression 48. The upper end of the bar 54 is short of the upper end ofthe depression 48, leaving an open space 55. The operating bar 54 is held in its normal position by the pressure of roller 21 in notch 53 of the member 5I. As may be seen in Fig. 13, the roller 21 is urged into the notch 53 by a spring 56 which maintains tension on the latch shifting member 45.

Movement of roller 21 to the right to unlatch the door las previously described is caused by rotation of member 5I in either direction. Rotation of member 5I is caused by the pushing or pulling of the upper or lower end of bar 54. The lower end of bar 54 is located at a height at which it is convenient to unlatch the door by knee pressure. The upper end of bar 54 is located at a higher level for convenience to hand and may be pushed inward or pulled outward by inserting ngers in opening 55 over the upper end of bar 54.

Various changes and modifications may be made within the scope of the invention which is not limited except as indicated in the following claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A latch for a door of a refrigerator including a self-latching latch bolt, a handle to be normally located substantially inside the plane of an outer surface of the refrigerator comprising a cup-shaped member to be oscillated on its side in the refrigerator door and having a grasping piece across the mouth of the cup, and a connection betweensaid handle and said latch bolt so that the bolt will be operated to unlatch the door upon either inward or outward movement of said handle.

2. In a latch for a refrigerator door having a recess in the outer surface thereof, a self-latching bolt, a handle located in said recess and having a hand grip portion, means for mounting said handle whereby said portion may be selectively pushed farther into said recess or grasped and pulled outward, and a connection between said handle and said bolt so that the door will be unlatched by either push or pull on said hand grip portion, said handle being formed to fully occupy the area of the opening of said recess in the plane of the outer surface of the door to conceal said recess.

3. In a latch for a refrigerator door having a recess in the outer surface thereof, a self-latching bolt, a handle located in said recess and having a hand grip portion, means for mounting said handle whereby said portion may be selectively pushed farther into said recess or grasped and pulled outward, and a connection between saidv handle and said bolt so that the door will be unfatched by either push or pull on said hand grip portion, said handle being formed so that the width thereof fully occupies the Width of the opening of said recess in the plane of the outer surface of the door to conceal that part ofthe recess occupied by the handle.

4. A latch for a door of a refrigerator having a recess in the outer surface thereof, comprising a self-latching bolt, mechanism for actuating said bolt to unlatch said door, and pivotally mounted means for operating said mechanism, said means adapted to be operated by a push or a pull at one end and by a push at the other end, said means being located in said recess substantially flush with said outer surface, said means being adapted to be operated at one end by the hand and at the other end by the knee of a user of average height.

ERIC PICK. 

